Package Fastening Clip with Secure Latching

ABSTRACT

A product package clip has cooperating locking tabs and openings which facilitate secure assembly of the clip and resistance to forces imposed by mishandling during shipment.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention relates to fastener clips for product packaging. In particular, this invention is an improvement over the clips shown and described in Khachadourian et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,153 and Liverman et al U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,406, owned in common with the invention described here, to which the interested reader is referred, and which are hereby incorporated by reference into this disclosure.

As the prior art clips have been widely and successfully used, efforts have been made to assure that product packages secured together by such a clip will remain securely assembled. That has been done heretofore by providing a latch structure which engages one of a plurality of pivoting legs as the clip is installed. In the previously patented clip, the engagement is between a single projection or “tooth” of the latch member and a cooperating ledge or notch formed in one pivoting leg (See Column 2 of the '153 patent, beginning at line 54 and Column 2 of the '406 patent, beginning at line 30).

The clips of the prior patents were originally developed for packages which were expected to be handled in palletized systems. In such an application, the clips are at least somewhat protected against being grossly mishandled and the imposition of destructive forces. However, the applications for the clips have broadened into use in packages of smaller sizes (although sometimes of greater weight for the size of the package) which are handled in small parcel shipping modes where mishandling is much more likely and happens much more frequently. In these newer uses, clips have been found to be missing from delivered packages or broken due to the stress imposed on the latch mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing as background, the present invention provides a latching mechanism which is much more secure than the mechanism heretofore disclosed and used. In particular, the latch mechanism is now formed using a locking plate with at least one through hole or opening into which locking tabs are trapped. This more positive lacking provides advantages of reducing clip failure during handling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Some of the purposes of the invention having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the clip in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above of the clip of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from below of the clip of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

While the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, it is to be understood at the outset of the description which follows that persons of skill in the appropriate arts may modify the invention here described while still achieving the favorable results of the invention. Accordingly, the description which follows is to be understood as being a broad, teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts, and not as limiting upon the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, an apparatus 10 is shown which is an improvement over the clips of the prior patents incorporated by reference into this disclosure by the provision of a more positively locking latch mechanism. More particularly and as with the clips of the prior patents, the apparatus has a socket body 12 having a planar portion 13, a thin walled protuberance 15 formed integrally with the planar portion and a plurality of leg portions 18, 19, 20 formed integrally with the protuberance 15 and hingedly connected thereto at an end location adjacent the planar portion. It may be noted that secure fastening of a package can be obtained by having the two side legs 18, 19 hinged and a fixed portion be provided as the element indicated at 20 and bearing locking tabs as described hereinafter. The apparatus 10 has a plug body 28 having a planar portion 29, a thin walled protuberance 30 formed integrally with the planar portion and configured to enter into the socket body, and a latch member 26 formed integrally with the planar portion 29. As with the device of the teachings here incorporated by reference, the plug body protuberance engages the socket body leg portions upon insertion into the socket body, rotating the leg portions to extend outwardly from the socket body protuberance and lock together two pieces of a product package into which the apparatus is inserted as indicated in FIG. 1.

In accordance with an important feature of this invention, the latch member or locking plate 26 has at least one locking opening 28 (and preferably a plurality of such openings, as the two shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) formed therein. These openings receive, during closure of the clip as suggested in FIG. 1, cooperating tabs 29 (FIG. 3) formed on a hinged leg which is pushed toward the extended position by the insert of the plug body. That is, when the clip 10 is assembled with packaging, the locking plate 26 pushes the leg which carries the locking tabs through ninety degrees of motion until the tabs engage the openings and the clip is locked into position. The dimensions of the elements may be adjusted to affect the rigidity of the locking plate and the amount of force required to open and close the latch mechanism.

Preferably, and in accordance with this invention, the clip is formed by molding a plastic material. As indicated, the present invention contemplates that the socket and plug bodies may be formed integrally one with the other as in the case of the prior patent disclosures. In this case, the bodies are hingedly connected along one side edge of the planar portions, as shown.

In the drawings and specifications there has been setforth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are used, the description thus given uses terminology in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. 

1. Apparatus comprising: a socket body having a planar portion, a thin walled protuberance formed integrally with said planar portion and a plurality of leg portions formed integrally with said protuberance and hingedly connected thereto at an end location remote from said planar portion; a plug body having a planar portion, a thin walled protuberance formed integrally with said planar portion and configured to enter into the socket body, and a latch member formed integrally with and hingedly connected to said planar portion; said plug body protuberance engaging said socket body leg portions upon insertion into said socket body and rotating said leg portions to extend outwardly from said socket body protuberance; said latch member portion of said plug body defining a locking opening; and one of said leg portions of said socket body defining a locking tab; said one leg portion engaging said latch member portion upon assembly of the apparatus and said locking tab entering said locking opening to secure the apparatus in assembled state.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said socket body and said plug body are formed integrally together and hingedly connected along a common side edge thereof.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plug body planar portion defines an opening opposite said plug body protuberance, said latch member portion defines a plurality of locking openings, and said one leg portion defines a plurality of locking tabs.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said latch member portion has physical characteristics defining the force necessary to disengage said latch member portion and said one leg portion and permitting disassembly of the apparatus.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said latch member portion defines a pair of locking openings, said one leg portion defines a pair of locking tabs and said latch member portion has physical characteristics defining the force necessary to disengage said latch member portion and said one leg portion and permitting disassembly of the apparatus.
 6. Apparatus comprising: first and second sheets of planar material forming portions of a product package; and a fastener penetrating said sheets and holding said sheets together, said fastener comprising: a socket body having a planar portion, a thin walled protuberance formed integrally with said planar portion and penetrating said sheets and a plurality of leg portions formed integrallywith said protuberance and hingedly connected thereto at an end location remote from said planar portion; said leg portions being rotated to extend outwardly from said socket body protuberance to capture said sheets between said socket body planar portion and said legs; and a plug body having a planar portion, a thin walled protuberance formed integrally with said planar portion and configured to enter into the socket body, and a latch member formed integrally with and hingedly connected to said planar portion; said plug body protuberance engaging said socket body leg portions; said latch member portion of said body defining at least one locking opening; and one of said leg portions defining at least one locking tab; said one leg portion engaging said latch member portion upon assembly of the apparatus and said locking tab entering said locking opening to secure the apparatus in assembled state.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said socket body and said plug body are formed integrally together and hingedly connected along a common side edge thereof.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said plug body planar portion defines an opening opposite said plug body protuberance said latch member portion defines a plurality of locking openings, and said one leg portion defines a plurality of locking tabs.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said latch member portion has physical characteristics defining the force necessary to disengage said latch member portion and said one leg portion and permitting disassembly of the apparatus.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said latch member portion defines a pair of locking openings, said one leg portion defines a pair of locking tabs and said latch member portion has physical characteristics defining the force necessary to disengage said latch member portion and said one leg portion and permitting disassembly of the apparatus. 